Our online student magazine has unveiled a refreshed brand identity, including a new logo and redesigned website. Find out why (and how) it's been changed.
As we first mentioned on Monday (8 June), The Hoot – Open SU’s online student magazine – has unveiled a refreshed brand identity, including a new logo and redesigned website.
So why has this change taken place?
Following the rebrand of Open SU in May 2025, we wanted to give The Hoot a similar feel – clearer to use, more user-friendly, and with increased accessibility and flexibility for students. We also wanted to make it more obvious that The Hoot is part of the Open SU family.
However, we still want to keep The Hoot as a distinct and creative place for students to express their unique voice, experience and interests.
How we went about it
We began a consultation process with our Student Leadership Team. The SLT took part in a workshop with Open SU staff members in October 2025, where they provided their views on all aspects of the brand refresh. Ongoing discussions then took place between the SLT and Open SU staff, with accessibility needs at the forefront.
The overwhelming consensus was that students wished to have a different layout on the site, with articles grouped into different categories on the site – making it easier to find content.
It was also agreed that the Hoot logo should be refreshed, with students giving their preferences on which logo should be used.
The result
The result is a brand refresh which is warm, welcoming, and which reflects the needs of OU students going forwards. The Hoot has always been a place for students to connect with each other and express their unique voices and experiences, but this change will further enable Hoot users to feel part of the OU student community.